Outlook 2003 contacts-address book in new mail

[macgolfer]

I'm using 2003 with our company Exchange Server.
When I create a new email, I don't have access to my address book. It won't
pop-up with either the toolbar button, when clicking on To:, or with the
menubar.

I don't get an error message. Rather, Outlook becomes "inactive"
(unresponsive to any keyboard or mouse clicks, the header bar goes gray)
until I hit the ESC key. It's as though the address book window had popped
open somewhere where I can't see it.

I can access my contacts/address book fine as long as I don't start a new
email or a new meeting request.


I've attempted these fixes:

* Under Tools > Email accounts I removed my address book, quit Outlook, and
then readded it.

 

[Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]]

In your Address Book view, Tools->Options->set your preferred address book lookup there.

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. All
unsolicited mail sent to my personal account will be deleted without
reading.

After furious head scratching, macgolfer asked:

| I'm using 2003 with our company Exchange Server.
| When I create a new email, I don't have access to my address book. It
| won't pop-up with either the toolbar button, when clicking on To:, or
| with the menubar.
|
| I don't get an error message. Rather, Outlook becomes "inactive"
| (unresponsive to any keyboard or mouse clicks, the header bar goes
| gray) until I hit the ESC key. It's as though the address book window
| had popped open somewhere where I can't see it.
|
| I can access my contacts/address book fine as long as I don't start a
| new email or a new meeting request.
|
|
| I've attempted these fixes:
|
| * Under Tools > Email accounts I removed my address book, quit
| Outlook, and then readded it.

 

[macgolfer]

I'm looking in the Tools > Options, and selected the "Mail Setup" tab, then
Email Accounts. I then select the button, under Directory "View or change
existing directories or address books".

I have "Outlook Address Book" in the list already. What should I have?

Doug

 

[Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]]

Remove it and re-add it, closing OUtlook completely and then restarting between actions.

You can also look at the Address book options. Open the Address Book, select Tools->Options and set your preferred contacts folder from there.


--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. All
unsolicited mail sent to my personal account will be deleted without
reading.

After furious head scratching, macgolfer asked:

| I'm looking in the Tools > Options, and selected the "Mail Setup"
| tab, then Email Accounts. I then select the button, under Directory
| "View or change existing directories or address books".
|
| I have "Outlook Address Book" in the list already. What should I have?
|
| Doug
|
|
| "Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]" wrote:
|
|| In your Address Book view, Tools->Options->set your preferred
|| address book lookup there.
||
|| --Â
|| Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]
||
|| Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. All
|| unsolicited mail sent to my personal account will be deleted without
|| reading.
||
|| After furious head scratching, macgolfer asked:
||
||| I'm using 2003 with our company Exchange Server.
||| When I create a new email, I don't have access to my address book.
||| It won't pop-up with either the toolbar button, when clicking on
||| To:, or with the menubar.
|||
||| I don't get an error message. Rather, Outlook becomes "inactive"
||| (unresponsive to any keyboard or mouse clicks, the header bar goes
||| gray) until I hit the ESC key. It's as though the address book
||| window had popped open somewhere where I can't see it.
|||
||| I can access my contacts/address book fine as long as I don't start
||| a new email or a new meeting request.
|||
|||
||| I've attempted these fixes:
|||
||| * Under Tools > Email accounts I removed my address book, quit
||| Outlook, and then readded it.

 

[Bruce]

System Setup: Vista Business with Outlook 2003 (same problem with Outlook 2007).

Problem: No Contact Lists can be made available in the Outlook Address Book.

I've already tried to make each of my Contact Lists available to the Outlook Address Book by doing the following: In the Contacts View, select a Contact List, then Right Click on it and select Properties. Go to Outlook Address Book tab...the Check Box and label "Show this folder as an e-mail Address Book" are "BOTH Grey", and therefore the Check Box can NOT be checked. Sooooo, what happens is I can not have access to any Contacts in the Outlook Address Book.

What have I tried:

1.Called Microsoft who said they would not give advise on their software which was preinstalled on a computer at time of sale. So I called IBM, they don't have a clue!
2. I uninstalled the trial version of Office 2007 and installed Office 2003 with all updates (which I have used successfully on an XP system for many years with no problem). Same exact problem occurs with Outlook 2003 & 2007 on the Vista system.
3. I have exported all my 2,000 contacts to a CSV file and imported them back into Outlook 2003 after reinstalling Outlook 2003 with a totally clean Outlook.pst file (nothing in it at all). Importing of CSV was flawless and I can access all contacts within the Contact List(s). But still no success when I go to the Contacts View, select the Contact List, then Right Click on it and select Properties. Go to Outlook Address Book tab...the Check Box and label "Show this folder as an e-mail Address Book are STILL "BOTH Grey", and therefore the Check Box can NOT be checked. Sooooo I can not have access to any Contacts in the Outlook Address Book.

Possible problems:
1. There is possibly some kind of setting in Vista that needs adjustment.
2. Adminstrative Rights under Vista: I have full Administrative rights, and to make double sure, I have gone to the Program Files, Microsoft, Outlook and right clicked on Outlook.exe and Run with Adminstrive Rights.

Request for HELP: Any great ideas out there by anyone? Sure would appreciate your kind assistance. Thanks. Bruce

EggHeadCafe.com - .NET Developer Portal of Choice
http://www.eggheadcafe.com

 

[Bruce]

System Setup: Vista Business with Outlook 2003 (same problem with Outlook 2007).

Problem: No Contact Lists can be made available in the Outlook Address Book.

I've already tried to make each of my Contact Lists available to the Outlook Address Book by doing the following: In the Contacts View, select a Contact List, then Right Click on it and select Properties. Go to Outlook Address Book tab...the Check Box and label "Show this folder as an e-mail Address Book" are "BOTH Grey", and therefore the Check Box can NOT be checked. Sooooo, what happens is I can not have access to any Contacts in the Outlook Address Book.

What have I tried:

1.Called Microsoft who said they would not give advise on their software which was preinstalled on a computer at time of sale. So I called IBM, they don't have a clue!
2. I uninstalled the trial version of Office 2007 and installed Office 2003 with all updates (which I have used successfully on an XP system for many years with no problem). Same exact problem occurs with Outlook 2003 & 2007 on the Vista system.
3. I have exported all my 2,000 contacts to a CSV file and imported them back into Outlook 2003 after reinstalling Outlook 2003 with a totally clean Outlook.pst file (nothing in it at all). Importing of CSV was flawless and I can access all contacts within the Contact List(s). But still no success when I go to the Contacts View, select the Contact List, then Right Click on it and select Properties. Go to Outlook Address Book tab...the Check Box and label "Show this folder as an e-mail Address Book are STILL "BOTH Grey", and therefore the Check Box can NOT be checked. Sooooo I can not have access to any Contacts in the Outlook Address Book.

Possible problems:
1. There is possibly some kind of setting in Vista that needs adjustment.
2. Adminstrative Rights under Vista: I have full Administrative rights, and to make double sure, I have gone to the Program Files, Microsoft, Outlook and right clicked on Outlook.exe and Run with Adminstrive Rights.

Request for HELP: Any great ideas out there by anyone? Sure would appreciate your kind assistance. Thanks. Bruce

EggHeadCafe.com - .NET Developer Portal of Choice
http://www.eggheadcafe.com

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

Run the Mail applet in Control Panel and create a new mail profile, making sure the Outlook Address Book service is added.

IBM is obligated to provide support as part of their agreement with Microsoft to preinstall software. Next time, you could try pressing your case with a supervisor.

 

[macgolfer]

Thanks, Milly, but that didn't fix it. I deleted my Outlook Address Book,
quit Outlook and restarted (even went so far as to restart Windows, too).
Outlook still gets "inactive" until I hit ESC whenever I attempt to access
the Address Book after creating a new message.

What might the next step be?

Doug

 

[macgolfer]

Based on a suggestion Sue made:

I just ran the Detect and Repair, then rebooted and restarted Outlook. The
problem persists.

When I move Outlook down on the screen, and then start a new email, there
isn't another window visible.

BUT -----

I thought, let me look down behind the taskbar. So I drug the taskbar down
to make it disappear and BINGO! up popped my contacts list!!!

It was "there all the time" but I never thought to look down off the screen.
I don't know when or how that would have occurred, as I've had this problem
with the contacts for a couple of months.

Thank you for your help.

Doug